


Whipping Boy

by Scarlet_Claws



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Bully Alecto, Bullying, F/M, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Heart-to-Heart, Implied/Referenced BDSM, Kissing, Love Confessions, Pining, Reconciliation, Role Reversal, Whips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27368569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlet_Claws/pseuds/Scarlet_Claws
Summary: Alecto comes out of the wrong pool of Styx, emerging in the House of Hades. It doesn’t take long for her to find her former whipping boy, Hypnos, prompting Megaera to step in and defend what is hers.
Relationships: Hypnos/Megaera (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 74





	Whipping Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Sort of not-really sequel to Sleepy Flirting?
> 
> Idk man. You guys read what makes you happy and I’ll keep writing what makes me happy.

Hades was gone. That was quite unusual, in the great scheme of things, but the fact of the matter was that his throne was empty, and had been so for a while now. Hypnos had even brought a list of the last twenty-four hours of work and it was sitting there, exactly where he had left it. For once that he had brought it on time...

He didn’t let that bother him, not in the least. Apart from the master of the house’s absence, there was nothing to worry about. In fact, things were running a little _too_ smoothly, or at least Hypnos should have known that they were, for them to last for long.

The peace was broken when someone stepped out from the pool of Styx at the bottom of the hallway. At first, Hypnos perked up because he thought that the tall, female figure he caught from the corner of his eye was Megaera, but that couldn’t be right. Megaera had passed him to go in the lounge earlier. He remembered perfectly – he always remembered everything that had to do with Megaera, strangely enough. And he was right to think so because the woman that was striding down the hall was not Megaera.

It was _Alecto_.

Altecto, the worse sister of the three. The shades, even the ones that had not come from Tartarus, parted fearfully in front of her, their wispy voices trembling in fear. Not even when hurried Zargeus and his fiery feet came through that they cowered so, fearing to be brutalised in some way. And with such a smile like the one she had on her face, there was no mistaking her intentions.

“Ah!” said Hypnos. “A-Alecto—“ He cleared his throat. “Welcome to the House of Hades. Please stand in line while I get—“ She did not pause the least. “Or don’t stand in line, that’s fine, absolutely fine—“

“Hypno- _babe_ ,” she chimed. “It’s been so long since the last time we saw each other. Don’t tell you’re going to give me that treatment now, hmm? After all we’ve been through together.”

She didn’t seem mad. That was a good sign. It had been so long, after all, thought Hypnos, maybe there was some hope for their relationship to be salvaged. Or maybe he just hoped for it anyway, because the alternative to that when it came to how this situation could end was not a pleasant one.

“Well, I got to do my job,” he said with a brilliant smile. “Now, let’s see. Killed, huh? Death by... Zagreus. Aw, don’t feel bad, okay, you wouldn’t be the first one.”

He never should have said that.

Her face flipped in a fraction of a second. It was like a flip was switched in her.

“ _What_ have you just said, Hypno-babe?” she hissed.

Hypnos knew; he ran. He didn’t even answer her, even if that went against all of his professional principles.

But the whip was faster.

Its thong, almost lovingly, wrapped around his legs, snatching them from under him. He barely had the time to put his arms in front of him. His notepad and stylus went flying across the marble ground.

“Oopsie,” she chimed. “Looks like you got me mad, Hypno-babe, hmm? You know what happens when I’m mad, don’t you?”

She slowly circled him, until she was just above his stylus. Her blade heel slammed down, snapping it in half.

Hypnos, out of reflex, brought his hands under his body. Severed fingers took forever to stick back, but were even more painful when you had to regrow them.

She leaned down, her shadow spreading over him. He closed his eyes shut. He knew, from experience, that it wouldn’t make her go away, but he simply was so scared that he couldn’t do otherwise.

“Never. Mention. That name. Again. Hypno-babe.” He voice was cold and controlled, yet so, so close to morphing into a piercing scream.

She was so mad.

“Leave him alone.”

That voice was female, yet wasn’t Alecto’s. His heart leapt in his chest before he even recognized it – he would have recognized it _instantly_ under any other circumstance.

“Megaera,” he whispered.

He couldn’t quite trust his ears, so he opened his eyes and there she was, standing but a few steps away from them, whip in her hands, wing spread out in anticipation. There wasn’t a single muscle in her body that wasn’t ready for battle and she was so _gorgeous_ for it.

“ _Megaera_ ,” said Alecto with disdain. “Dear sister. It’s been a while. How’s licking Hades’ boots going for you?”

“You have been barred from entering this house, Alecto,” said Megaera. “And I’ll make you leave if I have to.”

“Ha!” Alecto straightened like a snake about to strike. Her whip jumped in her hand with one last burning lick high up Hypnos’ bare leg. “As if a weakling like you could do such a thing”

“Suits yourself.”

Hypnos _had_ been about to scoot back on all fours to get away from the fight, but Megaera’s whip hissed but an inch from his skull and he had never changed his mind so fast in all of his life. With a squeal, he made himself in the tightest ball of fluffy cape and bony frame right there on the marble floor, hands on the back of his neck, eyes shut tight.

And that was probably the wisest move. The balls of energy that they sent each other, the whiplashes, all of that flew over his head. But he did miss the sight of them zooming around the room, their movement a blur. He would have liked seeing it. Especially seeing Megaera.

“Why are you. So. _Annoying_!” screamed Alecto.

Hypnos recognized the chilling sound that came next: the one of metal scraping against the marble as it inexorably moved towards its target. He rose his head and froze. But a few feet away from him, moving in his direction, was a mass of swirling blades – Alecto’s doing, and he was all too familiar with their effect.

Megaera landed in front of him, arm raised. There was a horrible grinding noise. Splats of blood flew right and left and she grunted in pain.

“Aha—“ Cried Alecto. “I _knew_ it. Weakling!”

Normally, Hypnos thought that Alecto was sort of pretty – not as pretty as other people he knew – but, at that moment, there was nothing more hideous than her blood-thirsty, distorted face as she watched her own sister resist her deadly trap. She truly enjoyed that.

Hypnos’ stomach churned. He was on his feet in seconds and then— he didn’t even think. He rose his hand and felt a wave of power coursing through him.

Alecto seized up, her eyes going wide. Her expression of pure shock was the last expression on her face before she dropped to the ground like an old coat, whip clanging on the ground as it escaped her hand. Her windwhirl of blades disappeared as soon as she was out cold.

She snored. Loudly.

Hypnos lowered his arm. He was heaving. Immediately, he felt bad that he had to resort to his powers, but he had seen Megaera getting hurt and he had not even _thought_ about it—

Megaera turned around. She looked just as stunned as her sister had been but in prettier.

“You can do that?” she asked.

“Yes? I mean, I am the deity of sleep, if Aphrodite can make someone fall in love and if Ares can awaken bloodlust—“

“Why?”

“Why... what?”

“Why didn’t you do that earlier?”

“I—Well, that would be mean.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. He started to fidget nervously. He knew that it got on his nerves when he did that but he couldn’t help it.

“Why do I even try?” she said to herself.

She turned around before he could answer that question – as if he knew the answer! – and walked away, a thick trail of blood droplets on her wake. Hypnos chased after her but also almost ran into her when she stopped.

“Leave me alone!” she growled.

Hypnos stood very still as she left the main hall. He didn’t dare move until she was out of sight, and then some. In fact, what drew him out of his trance was the tell-tale ruffle of Nyx’s apparition. He turned around, to meet her disquietingly calm eyes.

“My child, I’ve sensed a disturbance in the House,” she said. Her eyes went to the laying form of Alecto, then up the trail left by Megaera, and then over the various damages to the room around her. “I see that the matter was solved.”

He glanced at Alecto, then back at Nyx, but said nothing.

“I’ll take care of it from here,” she continued. “Can you work, my child?”

He nodded. Except for the burn from Alecto’s whip on his leg, he was without a scratch.

“Good. Lord Hades is on his way back. He will already be quite displeased with Alecto’s disobedience.”

As Nyx scooped up the sleeping fury, Hypnos returned to his usual spot. He usually would have cheered on the shades, reassuring them that everything was all right now but he found that to be impossible. Not with the heavy weight on his heart, the weight of feeling as if he had done wrong.

It took him all or his courage to show up in front of Megaera’s living quarters. He didn’t know where he found the will to knock. He at least needed to understand why she was mad at him. He had tossed and turned in his bed, unable to relax until he had an answer.

She didn’t respond. Yet, Hypnos knew that she was there.

“Meg?” he asked.

“Go away,” answered her muffled voice from behind the door.

“Meg, I want to talk to you.”

There was a silence on the other side of the door. She seemed to be thinking about it. He waited, hopeful.

She opened the door. She was had changed into more comfortable clothes, and there was a large bandage on her arm. Her face was closed and wary.

“What is there to say, Hypnos?” she asked.

“Well...” He fidgeted. Stopped when her eyes went straight to his hands. “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

She tensed. “Sorry for what?”

“I mean, I’m not a warrior...” He rubbed his face. “I’m most certainly not a warrior but I see them every day, especially with that war on the surface. I didn’t realize that I was going to hurt your honour by intervening in that first for you, I’m sorry— I should have let you vanquish Alecto. I never doubted you, it’s just that when I saw that you were getting hurt—“

She rose a hand, cutting him off. And yet she didn’t speak before she had processed his words.

“You think that I am mad because I didn’t win?” she asked.

Hypnos nodded.

She sighed, then pinched the bridge of her nose. Her body lost some of its tension – not because she was relaxing, more so because she was giving up.

“Step inside.”

She let him in. Despite the seriousness of the moment, Hypnos couldn’t help but look around at the place. This was Megaera’s quarters! That was the most exciting thing that had happened to him all week!

He calmed himself and turned to her. She gestured for him to sit on one of her leather seats, and he did so, even if she didn’t do so herself. She started to pace the room.

“Tell me, Hypnos. How long has Alecto been mistreating you?”

“Oh, well, I mean... pretty much since we first met.” He paused. “Maybe the second or third time we met, actually. I don’t quite remember, it’s been... so long ago.”

“And you’ve never used your powers on her?”

“No.”

“Not even once?”

“I never use my power of sleep on anyone.” Beat. “Until today.”

“Why?”

“Because... I mean, I do maintain sleep in the world, but I don’t... like using it for myself, you know? It just feels wrong. Selfish? I think that the best way to describe it is that it feels selfish.”

She stopped her back and forth, pausing to stare at him in the eyes. Well, in the eyes... more like stare in them until Hypnos looked down, his cheeks burning. With her standing up and him sitting, he felt very small. He didn’t dislike it.

“So... let her bully you for no other reason that you are too much of a coward to defend yourself?”

“I wouldn’t call it cowardice...” He couldn’t help but start fidgeting. “It’s just... that I think that you’re always in the wrong if you strike someone. I know it might be hard for you to understand—I mean, I can see that you _don’t_ , but hurting someone is not something I want to do.”

“But you’ve put her to sleep.”

“Against her will.”

Beat.

“So... that’s the reason why?” she asked. “Nothing else?”

“What other reason would they be?” He looked up at her. “Is that why you’re mad? Because there would be some other reason?”

“Like... maybe you would enjoy what she did to you.” Beat. “Like it’s some sort of game.”

Hypnos felt his cheeks burn. That was... a complicated question for him to answer. He didn’t know if he was fucked up in the head or if it was normal but—Well the idea of being bullied by a woman he liked did turn him on. However, that was something he fantasised about, and that fantasy didn’t necessarily apply to something real. When Alecto did it to him, he knew that she wouldn’t stop if it became too much, and that smile on her face... it was so _ugly_ , repulsive even. She wanted to see him suffer.

And he didn’t like her. At all. That also counted. It was never her that appeared in his fantasies.

He shook his head, answering Megaera’s question. “No, not at all. I’d rather never see her again.”

“Good.”

The word seemed to have escaped her lips against her will. She looked away when he peered up at her, escaping his gaze.

“Did you think that I was... letting Alecto do because I wanted her to do it?” he asked.

She didn’t answer until she nodded.

“Was that why you were mad?”

“I’m still mad.” She placed her hands on her hips. “You are a pain to deal with, Hypnos.”

“No, you’re not mad,” he said. “It’s okay, everyone can make mistakes sometimes, you know. It’s okay to be embarrassed.”

She shot him a shocked look.

“Oh— I mean, I can see that you’re not that mad— You know, we’re known each other for a while now, more than Alecto, you know, since we both live in the same House— But really, I can tell— It’s fine, I never was angry that you were mad at me, it was all a misunderstanding—“

“Shut up, Hypnos.”

He zipped his mouth close, even putting a hand in front of it to make sure that no word would escape.

She sighed, again, then dragged herself to a seat opposite of his. She sat with her elbows on her knees and rubbed her temples with her eyes closed. When she opened them, it was like a shot through Hypnos’ heart. They were so... piercing. Beautiful.

“What am I going to do with you?” she whispered.

“Pardon?”

“Alecto knew. That’s why she aimed for you during our fight.”

“Knew? Knew what?”

“That I like you.”

All of Hypnos’ cognitive functions came to a screeching halt.

“You— You— You— Y— You _like_ —“

“Breathe, Hypnos.”

He produced the highest-pitched squeal he could. And that was _quite_ high. But he did manage to take in a breath of air afterwards.

“You _like_ me?”

“Didn’t you just say that you know me well?”

“You like _me_?”

“Honestly, I have no idea why I even do,” she said. Her cheeks were tinted red.

He clutched his chest. He had the impression his heart was going to beat straight through his ribcage, breaking his bones on the way. It took him several moments to calm down. He couldn’t be happier.

“I know you like me back,” she said. “That much is obvious.”

“ _What?_ ”

“Spare me with the cheesy love declaration, all right?”

“Since when?”

“Since when... what?”

“Since when do you know that you... and that I... You know!”

“I don’t have to answer this question. I think that it’s best if we wrap this up, now that this misunderstanding is cleared.”

Hypnos stood up. “Wait! I mean—“

She stood up too. He stopped himself from saying another word as she walked to him and took his hand in hers and placed it on his chest. It was a little rough, but warm – exactly how he had imagined her hand to be.

“It’s been a long day,” she said. “My arm is killing me. I didn’t even plan on telling you anything when you walked in, but it happened anyway. I need some time before you explode of joy on me – as you do. All right? I’ll just... I’ll get back to you. Promise. And then we’ll do it properly.”

Hypnos nodded. He understood. But she wasn’t finished.

“And don’t mention it in public. I’m not sure how many people Alecto is going to tell in the first place.”

“Of course.”

“Good. I think it’s best we call it a night for now.”

She ushered him towards the door. He let her do. He thought that she would simply put him out without a word – it would be her style to do so – but she did pause. Her hand went to his cheek, turning his head so that he would be facing her.

She leaned in, and time just _stopped_.

Her lips were soft. A little sticky from her lipstick. Her face was so close to his he could feel its warmth. All those sensations only registered when she leaned away from him, the kiss had been so brief. But she was still a breath away from him.

“Please, defend yourself a bit more next time,” she said. “I was scared you’d get hurt.”

And then, without any other ceremony, she opened the door, turned him around by the shoulders, and pushed him out. She almost slammed the wooden panel behind him, but that barely registered for him.

Hypnos, alone in the hallway, let out a very tiny squeak.


End file.
